1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device that installs in the fuel line to fuel usage equipment such as a HVAC system or a large commercial natural gas or diesel generator. The invention functions to break the carbon chains of the carbon chain fuel molecules of liquid or gaseous hydrocarbon fuels so that the resulting shorter carbon molecules have a higher vapor pressure and burn more efficiently in the equipment. The device installs in a fuel supply line and consists of a hollow cylinder that contains tightly packed copper wire through which the fuel flows prior to being burned. The tightly packed copper wire is held in place in the cylinder by means of a perforated keeper that is retained by a snap ring that fits in a groove provided internally within the cylinder.
2. Description of the Related Art
Applicant's U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,048,499 and 5,197,446 each teach a vapor pressure enhancer and method for treating fuel. These patents teach a cylinder with a perforated core located inside the cylinder and the core having a central bore therethrough. One of these patents teaches that the core is formed of an alloy of copper, zinc, tin and nickel, and the other patent teaches a core formed of an alloy of copper, zinc, tin, nickel, and lead. In both inventions, the fuel passes through the cylinder and contacts the metallic core prior to being burned. Contact with the metallic core breaks the carbon chains of the fuel molecules so that the resulting shorter carbon molecules have a higher vapor pressure and burn more efficiently in the engine. The shortcoming of those prior inventions is that the core does not have enough surface area to contact with the fuel and the alloy does not work as well as a catalyst for breaking the carbon chains of the fuel molecules as desired. The teaching of those two prior patents is incorporated herein by reference.
Further, Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 7,942,135 teaches a core of tightly packed copper wire. The copper wire is preferably pure copper wire, with no added metals. The increased surface area of the tightly packed copper wire core results in better contact with the fuel as it flows through the cylinder and the copper wire does a better job of breaking the carbon molecules than the alloys previously employed. The result is that the fuel burns more efficiently and the vehicle gets better gas mileage which saves fuel and money. However, this patent does not teach providing male ends on the cylinder so that it can be attached to a fuel line such as a natural gas fuel line. Also, this patent does not teach a means for holding the copper wire within the cylinder.
The present invention addresses these shortcomings by providing male ends on the cylinder and by providing a perforated copper keeper on each end of the cylinder to hold the copper wire in place within the cylinder. Each perforated copper keeper is secured in place by a snap ring that inserts into a circumferential groove proved internally within the hollow cylinder.